The U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker said she wants the
Nanocollege’s public-private partnership model used throughout the
country to create other technology innovation hubs.

Pritzker
visited the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering in Albany, NY
on Tuesday as part of a listening tour focused on economic development
efforts nationwide. She said CNSE is “unique in the world.”

“It
requires the kind of partnership between universities, the private
sector, and the federal and state government to make this happen,”
Pritzker said. “It is something that is not possible without all of
these parties coming together.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s
goal is to expand national manufacturing by bringing various sectors
together to push innovation in science and technology, Pritzker said.

“This
is absolutely necessary for our country to remain innovative and
competitive in the 21st century,” she said. “There is enormous interest
around the country to replicate this kind of system.”

Pritzker
said what impressed her most about the Nanocollege is the “absolute
commitment” of the private companies that are working alongside each
other in one complex.

“My hope is to continue to promote the idea of these kinds of collaborations and expand them across the country,” she said.

Pritzker's
visit included a roundtable discussion with CNSE executives and
industry leaders about ways the government can replicate the
nanotechnology hub in Albany with other fields across the country.

The
State University of New York Board of Trustees voted to split the
Nanocollege from the University at Albany earlier this month. Pritzker
congratulated CNSE during the roundtable discussion on becoming their
own campus.

The Nanocollege is an $18 billion complex working with
private companies to help create the next-generation of computer chips.
The college works with more than 300 companies and houses about 3,100
employees.